


l'épée

by meryuukan



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Study, Gen, Invisible Kingdom | Revelation Route, Spoilers for Hidden Truths DLC, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24408961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meryuukan/pseuds/meryuukan
Summary: Another story about a certain woman mercenary who traverses time and fate, this time about swords and katanas she encountered. Also about that annoyingly perfect sky knight who reminded her too much of her late mother.
Relationships: Serena | Severa & Tsubaki | Subaki
Kudos: 15





	l'épée

**Author's Note:**

> I used Severa even after she arrived in Fateslandia. She would still refer herself in her thoughts by her original name. People still call her Selena and refers herself as such when audibly talking to herself or to the others.
> 
> As always it's unbeta'd so proceed with caution.

Whenever Corrin bought her a Steel Katana from the Dawn Armory, or it was her turn to tend the shop, Severa often got nostalgic whenever she held its _tsuka._ She remembers its wielding stance by heart, though a bit different from the Hoshidan way. 

Her father was stern, very stern from the way he fixed her very first stance she learned in her life as a swordsman's daughter. She was barely ten when Lon'qu handed her a wooden blade, still intact after years of storage. 

"Your arm." He would fix her increasingly tired arms. 

"Step further." Her feet were almost in a proper place before she faltered a bit and Lon'qu was quick to point out. She didn't whine, little Severa had never even complained even after the practice session ended. 

In the end of the day, all of her tiny body was tired from all of the standing and holding off two stances she just learned today. Two. Severa wondered when she would learn how to swing a blade with graceful steps like her father always did every morning at the garden. 

"You'll learn other stances very soon. Be patient, my little girl." Again with the hair ruffling, Severa whined at her messed up pigtails for the week. 

* * *

"When you wield a sword, respect it. It serves you as your partner and thank him after putting it back to the scabbard." 

"Hesitate and your swing will be aimless. Strengthen your resolve and try again." 

"Deep breaths." 

Those words resonate through her mind even when she felt her hand moved by itself when encountering a massive amount of Risen by the time Ylisse was targeted by Grima. 

All 13 of the children made their way to the palace just before dusk fell. 

* * *

Today was Severa’s duty to manage the Dusk Armory. Recently the place had upgraded its arsenal, as Corrin said the other day. Crates of new weapons had magically arrived in front of the shop shortly after she arrived. 

It took quite some time for her to unload the contents and place them in the designated areas. Between stacking seemingly endless amounts of Bronze and Iron Swords, she found a peculiar blade peeking from the bottom of the pile. 

Nohrian killing edges looked very different from the Archanean version of it. Its serrated edges helped her to wound enemies before killing it. But the blade felt foreign on Severa’s hand and deep down she missed how the killing edge she was familiar with enabled her to form a clean cut on her enemies. 

* * *

Severa couldn't remember how many times she jumped off the ground and sliced Risens with her Killing Edge. The lone blade was what was left by her father, handed by Lady Lissa who carries more than just a bloodied sword, dulled staff and her sorrows. 

"He wanted to give this to you. Take care, Severa."

She didn't let go of both the blade and its scabbard in her sleep. The cool dark lacquered wood helped her to dream about her peaceful life back at Feroxi mountains. 

Months later she held her mother's broken spearhead as she cried with no more tears left. 

* * *

She was taken aback when Lady Sakura's retainer Kazahana threw a small sword towards an enemy Samurai in the distance. Throwing swords was a thing in Hoshido, and she tried her best to master its technique. She often arrived at the training grounds late at night, focusing her mind at the training dummy a few feet away from her. 

"Still practicing in this hour, aren't you?"

The almost singsong voice startled her. 

Severa turned back. "Huh?! Who--"

The mysterious (and annoyingly familiar) intruder of the training grounds let out a soft chuckle. "Relax. It's me." 

The mercenary rolled her eyes. "You." 

Something irked Severa ever since she joined Corrin's army alongside Lady Camilla and Beruka. That Hoshidan Pegasus (or Sky Knight, as he would always correct her every single time) rubbed her the wrong way. 

Almost everything about Tsubaki reminded her too much of her late mother, albeit a much more narcissistic and airheaded version of her. It infuriates her the way he always challenged her with that stupid singsong voice of his. 

"I see you have taken interest in Hoshidan throwing Katanas. Shame that Nohrians aren't gentle enough to wield them." Tsubaki mused. 

"Huh? What are you implying? I can wield them just fine." Severa twirled the short blade around. "I mean it's not like I could crush them with my bare hands or something."

The sky knight walked closer towards her direction. 

“May I have the kodachi?” Severa reluctantly gave the small blade to him. 

"Here, let me demonstrate." 

The sky knight gripped the tsuka and threw it at an alarmingly fast rate to the straw dummy. It landed perfectly on the center of the painted target area. 

"Whoa..."

Tsubaki smiled. "Perfect." 

"How did you--"

"Working alongside Kazahana means you always have to be ready to spar with her. And with that, I had no choice but to remember my old techniques I learned before I served Lady Sakura."

"You learned how to wield a sword?" That wasn’t all too unexpected coming from Mr. Perfectionist himself. He excelled at everything she saw him doing, be it cooking, cleaning, smithing, horse riding, spear fighting, and now sword fighting was added on the list. 

"Much or less. It was mandatory in my clan." 

"Looks like I said a little bit too much for tonight. Well then, how about you Miss Selena?" 

"Me?" Severa looked at the smug smile Tsubaki has and scoffed. "Hmph. Fine then."

Severa gazed at the sky, dark and cloudy. The moon was obscured by the clouds. 

"It's...my father. I used to learn sword stances from him, and eventually his blade passed down to me." 

The killing edge her father gave was already broken by the time she was accepted as Lady Camilla's retainer, but she kept the red tsuka for memories sake. It was kept safe and hidden on her secret stash of Nohrian trinkets and her ever growing collections of hairbrushes. 

* * *

Eventually Severa learned how to throw katanas from both Tsubaki and Kazahana. The young and competitive retainers were always bickering with each other when she arrived at the training area. It was the complete opposite of their employer's personality.

Lucky them, she thought. Beruka barely reacts when she tells her all kinds of things that happen around her. She could even tell her stories about her true identity if she wanted to. 

It took a lot of tries before she could land a devastating blow to an enemy Invader with a Wakizashi. 

* * *

That night, Severa’s arrival at the ever empty training grounds wasn’t greeted by both Kazahana and Tsubaki. The younger retainer was absent because she was assigned to do guard patrol that night. And the sky knight took this opportunity to give her something in particular. 

He handed her a handmade Wakizashi specially made for her. 

It was different in color unlike the one seen on the Dawn Armory. Its _tsuka_ was woven in red thread, much like her current hair color. The blue tassel was replaced by a red tassel with an intricate knot from the same red thread as the tsuka. It looks like a ceremonial sword from the first glance. 

“Use it well, okay?” he said. 

Severa nodded. 

“Uh, Tsubaki?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you. For all of this. I don't deserve this handmade blade. It’s too delicate for battle, you know?” She definitely did not deserve such a quality blade from a person she doesn’t hate too much. She wasn’t all too fussy with all of the blades and axes she received over time. From iron casted Iron Swords to forged Brave Swords, she wielded them well in battle. 

Tsubaki let out a chuckle. “Take it as a token of thanks for saving me from several arrow shots back at Valla.” Severa saved him a few times from many Invader’s invisible arrow shots. 

“Well then, before I leave--”

The sky knight inched closer to her and put a brief peck on her cheek. Severa's face went as red as her hair in a matter of seconds. His charm rubbed her over time, but Anankos had said over and over in the past that they shouldn’t change the tides of fate too much, unless they would like to eventually be mad like him. Returning this perfectionist fool’s affection was one of the examples. 

"Tsubaki...sorry but," she looked away from him. "I don't feel the same way."

"It's fine, Selena. I always knew you'd never return it." His gaze was distant even though he kept his carefree demeanor. 

"But then again, unrequited love isn't something expected to have for a perfect sky knight like me, no?" Tsubaki smiled before turning his back and walked towards the west plaza of Fort Corrin's Deeprealms. He waved his hand. “Farewell, Selena.”

Severa let out a dry laugh as he strutted his way back to his camp. Might as well call him _not-mother_ at this rate.

* * *

Corrin was crowned as the new Vallite Sovereign and dubbed as the Saviour of the Fated Lands. Three days after the coronation Severa handed down the letter of resignation to Lady Camilla alongside Owain and Inigo. Their time in this realm sadly had come to an end. Any more interference with the timeline will wear down Anankos’ protection and prevent them from going back to their original timeline. 

Now with the Silent Dragon defeated, the curse was lifted and they can finally use their original names before arriving back to Archanea. 

“Owain, Inigo. Are you guys done with everything?”

“The one you called Odin was no more and--” Owain’s back received a hearty slap from Inigo. “Ow! Hey now, cousin!”

Inigo let out a hearty laugh. “Well, of course Severa. I barely even have anything other than the ladies…” He froze on the spot and put a palm on his forehead. “Shoot. I still have a few more appointments with the gorgeous Vallite ladies once the war’s over. I-I even promised to visit their houses tonight.”

Severa sighed. “Hoo boy, Inigo. You sure do never change.” She propped her index finger on his armorless chest. “Cancel those appointments, Inigo. We're leaving tonight.”

“But--”

“No buts.”

* * *

They packed light, except for Severa for obvious reasons. Her bag was filled with her personal belongings ranging from Tsubaki’s Wakizashi to Nohrian skincare she will surely miss. 

Before anyone in Castle Krakenburg woke up they were already on their way to the Dragon’s Gate. Upon arriving at the ancient site they were greeted by a spectre with a familiar appearance. 

“Great work, you three.” The spectre of what was supposed to be the good side of Anankos stood in front of the gate, his body translucent as if he was made by water. The spectre was very unstable, as if his entire being could vanish in a moment. “My protection from the currents of fate is almost gone, and with that you may return to your original world.” 

Lucina and the rest of the children had returned to the future where Grima is long defeated. Now it was the long awaited moment to reunite with their friends on the other side of the gate. 

“Thank you, for letting me see my child once more, and now I can sleep peacefully with my beautiful wife Mikoto…” Anankos’s spectre dissolved into water vapor before any of the three could even say thank you. 

They passed through the gate with a small thank you from the bottom of their hearts. 

* * *

They were greeted with familiar people upon passing through the portal. Exalt Lucina stood in front of them, her smile eased all three of them as they had safely arrived at Archanea. 

Severa dashed past the two and leaped to hug the reigning Exalt while Inigo genuinely smiled as he let out a happy cry and hugged his beloved elder sister. Owain joined the hug as the rest of the children gathered around. 

“Welcome back, you three.”


End file.
